Imagination Playground’s Big Blue Blocks have found a new home in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland at MakeBelieve – The Baby Play Place, an innovative indoor play space designed to support creativity, connection, and early childhood development. Located at 3 Drumsheugh Place, MakeBelieve is helping families discover the power of collaborative, open-ended play through imaginative experiences built around movement, exploration, and hands-on learning.
As indoor play environments become increasingly important for young families in urban areas, MakeBelieve is creating a welcoming community space where children from birth to school age can build confidence, develop social skills, and engage in creative play together.
Creating an Indoor Play Space for Families in Edinburgh
Edinburgh is a city rich in culture and history, but for families with young children, indoor play opportunities are especially valuable. With approximately 6,000 new babies born in the city each year, compact living spaces, and unpredictable Scottish weather, MakeBelieve recognized the growing need for a safe and stimulating environment where children could learn and play freely indoors.
Founded by mother of three Alicia Thomas, MakeBelieve was inspired by the importance of early childhood brain development and the role interactive play has in helping children thrive. The vision behind the space is simple but powerful: providing children with opportunities for creative, child-led exploration during their most formative years.
Today, MakeBelieve serves as both an indoor play destination and a community hub where parents, carers, and children can gather, socialize, attend classes, and build meaningful connections.
Big Blue Blocks Encourage Collaborative Play and Creativity
From the beginning, Imagination Playground’s Big Blue Blocks have been an important part of MakeBelieve’s design. The oversized foam building blocks occupy a spacious lower-level play area where children and families can build, experiment, and collaborate together.
Unlike traditional playground equipment with fixed outcomes, Big Blue Blocks support open-ended play, allowing children to shape their own experiences through imagination and creativity. Younger children can safely explore smaller pieces while older siblings and parents work together to create large-scale structures, obstacle courses, castles, robots, and imaginative worlds.
The blocks naturally encourage teamwork, communication, and problem-solving as children negotiate ideas, share materials, and build together.
Supporting Early Childhood Development Through Open-Ended Play
In Scotland, early years development continues to be an important social and educational focus, and MakeBelieve’s use of Big Blue Blocks provides children with opportunities to develop critical skills through hands-on play experiences.
Imagination Playground’s loose-parts play systems help support:
- Creative thinking and imaginative exploration
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Problem-solving and critical thinking
- Gross motor development
- Social-emotional learning
- Child-led STEM learning experiences
Alicia has witnessed children who have never met before work through challenges together, practicing conflict resolution and communication while building with the blocks. These moments of collaborative play help children develop confidence, empathy, and independent thinking in a fun and engaging environment.
Building Community Through Play
Some of the most memorable moments at MakeBelieve happen around the Blue Blocks. One standout experience involved four fathers working together to construct an elaborate castle while children enthusiastically directed the build. The result was more than an impressive structure—it became a joyful shared experience filled with laughter, creativity, and connection between families.
The versatility of the blocks also keeps children returning to the space again and again. Favorite pieces like the ball shoots inspire endless possibilities for races, ball runs, and interactive games, while each new visit brings entirely different creations and imaginative play scenarios.
By creating opportunities for collaborative play between children and caregivers, MakeBelieve is helping strengthen community relationships while encouraging active, open-ended learning experiences.
Why Indoor Collaborative Play Spaces Matter
Flexible indoor play environments like MakeBelieve are becoming increasingly important for families, especially in cities where outdoor play opportunities may be limited by weather or space. Interactive play systems such as Big Blue Blocks transform indoor environments into dynamic spaces where children can move, create, experiment, and connect with others in meaningful ways.
Through child-directed play, children gain independence while developing the creativity and problem-solving skills that support lifelong learning and development.
To explore more installations from around the world, visit our Where Are the Blue Blocks? series.
Visit MakeBelieve in Edinburgh
Families visiting Edinburgh can experience Imagination Playground’s Big Blue Blocks firsthand at MakeBelieve – The Baby Play Place.
📍 3 Drumsheugh Place, Edinburgh EH3 7PT
🌐 babyplayplace.com
Interested in bringing Big Blue Blocks to your school, museum, library, or community play space? Schedule a consultation with our team to explore the right play solution for your environment.